Apparatus for vending merchandise



E. W. TRAPP APPARATUS FOR VENDING mERCHANDsE Filed July 23 1.921 2 Sheets-Shee l pRUA- W. TRAPP fg,

AYPAHAYSWFOR vENDNG MERCHANDISE Filed July 23. 192A 2 Sheets-Sham 2 zz f7' 77 JM '15x TOR. fi. W, THA PP IMD To ali whom z may concern:

Be it known eheh l, lowrii' W. citizen of the Uniied Stmbes, und e. residerv'I of the city and county of Sari Frerieiseo,` Six-ite of Californie, have invenbed e, new and useful Apparatus for Vending Mei ohendise, of which lle following; is e specificetion.

My invention relates io en improved apporwus end arrangement for dispieying meohondise contained in'xtures which permiil self-serving.

An object of the invention is to provide en apperezus of the character described in which ehe iixtures containing the merchandise ore so arranged that as the customer proceeds along the aisle in. front of the {ixtures, e maximum amount of the diierent merchandise will be clearly displayed before him.

Another o'b'jeoi is to arrange the xtures so that a. maximum amount; of goods may he dis layed on o, given oor space.

E further object is io provide en appa.- reius in which xiiores of the ebove mentioned iype are wronged on opposite sides of the aisle in e. manner to permit of e uniform Width of the latter.

The invention possesses other objects and ieetures of advantage, some or' which, with ehe foregoing7 will be set forth iii the following description of the preferred form oi my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming ort of the specification. that i do not iimit myself to the showing mede hy the seid drawings end description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred form Within the scope of my invention as set forth in the oloims. l

Referring to seid drawings:

Figure 1 is o plan view of the irioerior of e store equippedvvith the eppzgzsatus of my inventio Figure 2 is aside, elevetionoir' some of the fixtures or merchandise holders which ere arranged to be located on the opposite sides of the eentrellyloeated fixtures.

Figure is o side' elevation of the central urea.

The o params of my invention is parzioulerly ogapted for use in connection with res of the self-serving type, that is, where -zhe eusiomer is giver, 3o

it is to he un ei'rsioodl se 'exits 8 wird 9. The x'mre 22 is formed of "ehe ellendige in the store is 'peimiih serve himself.. he

is provided with o. soles deperiment or 'ioii Si and 4.uitehle private storing sections und passages i3 and 7 respectively.

The soles deperiment Ai is grei'erahiy provided at its iront eed with en onrenee end exiis 8 and 9, all of rvhieh are provided with iburniog Stiles i2 which. rei/'olive in orio direction only. Preferably positioned. the opposite sides of `the deporroeo; fi ere fixtures i3 and ifioomprisiiig as here shown o piureiity of cabinets 1G which contain the merchandise oiiered for sale, each cabin-ei; being open et 'the front and provided 'with suiehle shelving 1'? for the suppor :molb display of the merchandise. The cabinets, are preferably arranged edge to edge and inl angular relation so that e series of elcovese 18 ere formed thereby., the cabinets in each alcove being disposed in planes perpendicular to lines emanating from a eommon'poirit. in this meneer es the eusiomer' proceeds along the eislelil or 20 in front of thejiirtures and enters 1'she aree. adjacent en elem/e,

substantially 'the entire merrhendise (iisplayed in the cabinets in seid eloove will he exposed to him at o, single glorzeestherehy not; only enobiing ehe customer izo flo his buying expeditousiy, loii io lering to his .eiientiori articles which he was in need of hut otheru Wise would have overlooked. lit will fortlier be noted the?, the foregingerrange ment oit oabinetspermits of the olispley of e maximum amount of merchandise oe Well esy maximum aisle room on, e. given aree, of ioor speoe.

Bei the aisles 19 emi 2l) is o eerirel fimure 22 whose rear end 23 is spaced from the cabinets 24; et the corresponding end 25 of the salesroom so that e continuous poeis hed between the entrance 5 to who 'pluralityfol" oohiriete 2? and 28 which free the aisles -419 end 20 respectively, :md ere 'i ranged similar to `the cabinets i6 so es he .form elcoves 29 and 30. .By referring to 'Figure l of the drawings it Will-he seen the@ the alcoves of the neer/er fixture ore disposed in stagnfered rele'ion with respeoib eo the oi. coves el' the edjeoen; side pfoviding e uniform Widtho? miele or between theopposihg iixtnies; Irthermore the edges 31 of the alcove's of the center fixture and the edges 32 of the side fixtures are spaced transversely across the aisle a distance sullicient to allow the customer to pass through the aisles in a straight line if he desires.

The cabinets comprising the side xtures 13 and 14 are made as high as practical, Whereas the cabinets of the center fixture are preferably of a height not exceeding the horizontal line of vision of the average customer. In this manner the operator at the cashiers station 33, as Well as the customers in the store, will have a more or less full 'view of the entire sales department.

For the convenience of the patrons the top of each cabinet is preferably provided with a, sign 34 which indicates the general nature of the merchandise contained on the shelves of the cabinet.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for vending merchandise, comprising a plurali't of merchandise display cabinets adapte for self-serving and arranged on opposite sides of an aisle, the cabinets on one side of the aisle being arranged to face the cabinets on the other side, and the cabinets on both sides of 'the aisle being arranged to form alcoves, the alcove on one side of the aisle being arranged in staggered relation to the alcove on the other side.

2. An apparatus for vending merchandise, comprising a plurality of merchandise-display cabinets adapted for self-serving and arranged on opposite sides of an aisle,.1 the cabinets on` each side of the aisle being arranged to form a series-of a-lcoves, the alcoves-'of one series bein arranged in staggered relation to the ot er.

1,510,4ael

tion, the cabinets in each alcove eing posi' tioned to lie in planes substantially perpendicular to lines emanating vfrom a common point.

4. In self-serving store the combination with a obby provided with entrance and exit gates and checkers stands, of shelves on opposite sides of the store in rear of the checkers stands and arranged in zig-zag fashion from front to rear of the store along th'e sides thereof and enclosing an open space forming a salesroom, the' shelves being so arranged thatthey are presented to view ci the checkers and a greater length of shelll room is provided.

5. A self-serving'store having at the front a lobby provided With entrance and exit gates, checkers stands adjacent the gates, and. shelves on opposite sides of the store running in A.zig-zag fashion from front to rear thereof along the sides thereof and enclosing a salesroom, said shelves having storage spaces between them and the side walls of the store, and means giving access to said stoige spaces from the salesroom.

6. self-serving store having an entrance lobby controlled by gates and an exit passage controlled by 'a gate, checkers stands in the front part of the store, and shelves arranged along the side Walls of the store in zig-zag fashion and having all portions thereof in full view of the checkers stands.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Oakland, this 7th day of July,

EDWIN W. TRAPP. 

